"Wait a minute! Rosaria will fold it for you!"
Rosaria started to diligently fold a rose with a napkin, her face beaming with a smile.
'What's with this girl?'
For the first time in her life, Yuria encountered a formidable opponent.
Typically, everyone envied the possessions Yuria had, and she was proud of it.
However, it seemed that no matter what she said to Rosaria, she only felt inferior.
Not only did the conversation not flow as she intended, but she also found herself losing control of it.
Even now, Rosaria was busily folding the napkin, humming a tune.
"Oh my, the prince is here."
"Let's go greet him."
Upon hearing the excited voices of the young ladies, Yuria turned her head.
Among the girls was a blonde-haired, green-eyed handsome boy, Prince Morgan the Second.
Of course, for Yuria who was lining up, Prince Morgan the Second was her main target.
Leaving Rosaria behind, Yuria moved toward him.
On the other hand, Rosaria, who was busy folding the paper rose, completed the rose and turned her head toward where Yuria had been.
"Done! I've finished... Huh? Where did she go?"
Looking around, Yuria was nowhere to be seen from Rosaria's view.
With the folded rose in her hand, Rosaria wandered around the banquet hall.
Eventually, she spotted Yuria, who was exchanging greetings amongst the young ladies.
"Nice to meet you, Prince of Hupper Kingdom. I am Yuria, the eldest daughter of the Frenda family..."
"Yuria!"
An abruptly cut-off greeting.
Yuria, who was elegantly extending her greetings, flinched at the sound of Rosaria's voice.
"Take this!"
"Miss Roton, if you come in like this while I'm greeting the prince..."
She was in a dilemma whether to be angry or act coy.
Her face twisted as she alternated her gaze between Rosaria and Prince Morgan the Second.
Upon hearing 'the prince', Rosaria turned her head to look up at Morgan the Second.
"You're the prince?"
Prince Morgan the Second, who had been observing the situation, nodded his head.
"Huh? Ah, yes, that's right."
As Prince Morgan the Second nodded, Rosaria closed her mouth and silently let out an exclamation, 'Oh!'
"So, can you swing a sword well?"
"A sword... are you talking about?"
"Yeah! Can you swing it around like the prince from "'The Brave"?"
When Rosaria made a swishing motion with her eyes sparkling, Morgan the Second answered with a smile.
"Haha, "'The Brave" is a story that I also really enjoy. Isn't it a classic tale of good triumphing over evil?"
"Good triumphing over evil?"
"It's about good winning and evil losing."
"Yeah! Rosaria also likes good triumphing over evil!"
Rosaria nodded her head.
Morgan softly smiled and introduced himself first.
"My name is Morgan Hupper the Second. May I ask the beautiful young lady's name here?"
"I'm Rosaria."
"Rosaria... Ah, Miss Rosaria Adeleheights Roton?"
"Yeah!"
Since Reed was the protagonist of this banquet, Prince Morgan the Second was already aware of his daughter, Rosaria.
Prince Morgan the Second continued the conversation with a smile, talking about Reed.
"I had a conversation with the Tower Master a while ago. He seemed like a very good person."
"Papa is a good person! He hasn't been playing with me much lately... but I still like him!"
"I'm glad to hear that you think so, Miss Rosaria."
His behavior could be considered ill-mannered, but Prince Morgan the Second only responded with a soft smile.
No, it was different from the courteous smile he had been giving while greeting the young ladies until now.
It was a sincere smile that matched her innocence.
As their conversation continued, the young ladies who had come to greet dispersed.
All except for one.
"Ugh..."
Yuria, who was watching everything, began to seethe.
'Why is she casually chatting with the prince? I'm supposed to be the one showing a harmonious image, not her!'
Yuria felt like she wanted to chew on a handkerchief or something.
In the middle of their conversation, Prince Morgan the Second lamented to Rosaria as if he was regretful.
"But I am sorry that I couldn't keep one promise."
"What promise?"
"I promised to listen to the Tower Master's music."
Rosaria tilted her head.
"Just listen to it then?"
At her innocent remark, Yuria snorted and interrupted.
"Hmph! You call that a solution? We don't have musical performances at our social gatherings!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, as the young lady Frenda mentioned, we only listen to the music of the invited orchestra."
Rosaria, who was thinking deeply, suddenly took Prince Morgan the Second's hand with determination in her eyes.
"Then let's go listen!"
"But we have to stay here."
"If you made a promise with Papa, you must keep it! Let's go to where Papa is and listen!"
Rosaria was dragging Morgan along.
Morgan, grabbed by her hand, wore a flustered expression, and Yuria preached to Rosaria.
"Lady Rosaria, adults have their own circumstances, and children should not go there."
"But Morgan wants to listen."
"Mo, Morgan? Miss Roten, it's rude to call someone by their first name! How could you be so impolite!"
Yuria spoke as if she was astounded.
She raised her voice as if for Morgan to hear, but Prince Morgan the Second was quiet, thinking as their conversation continued.
Finally, as if he had made a decision, he looked down at Rosaria and spoke.
"Okay. Let's go listen."
"Yes!"
"...Excuse me?"
Rosaria's joy and Yuria's dismay crossed paths.
Prince Morgan the Second spoke with an interested look on his face.
"If a promise was made, it should be kept. And stepping out of a children's social gathering and into an adult one. Doesn't that seem like an adventure? I want to have such an adventure."
"That's right, it's an adventure!"
Rosaria got excited at the mention of an adventure.
Yuria could not understand Morgan's behavior.
'I thought a prince of a country would certainly prefer dignity?'
How could he be so childlike?
To participate in such rude behavior of an immature girl.
Yuria shook off her confusion and informed them of the reality.
"Even so, you won't be able to leave here."
"Why?"
"Because the banquet hall where we are has a barrier magic! It's a solid barrier made with a spell from the Imperial Workshop!"
Yuria spoke proudly about the barrier magic, which was also a feat of her father.
"Hmm..."
Upon hearing this, Rosaria stood at the door.
The barrier on the door was clearly visible to Rosaria, who could sense mana, although it was invisible to ordinary people's eyes.
She had seen it once before.
"I know this!"
With that remark, Rosaria put her hand on the barrier.
A moment later, a bright light came from both of Rosaria's hands.
Whoosh.
Yuria was astonished.
The solid barrier slowly faded and then disappeared completely.
"H-How did you...?"
This was impossible by Yuria's standards.
Even though it's basic, it's a barrier magic boasted by the Imperial Workshop, to make it disappear simply by touching it!
Rosaria cheerfully answered her question.
"Unni once said that if I absorb the mana of most magic barriers, they break!"
"What an absurd..."
Only Rosaria, who has"Mana Sensitivity Lv. 7", can absorb external mana.
It was a shock to Yuria, who didn't know that she was an absurdly innocentmonster.
Is it me who's strange?
Or is it that woman who's strange?
Or is it the world that's strange?
Morgan, who couldn't sense mana, confirmed the fact that the door was opening and admired it.
"The barrier has disappeared, so the door is now open. The court magicians will soon notice and come here, so we should escape now."
"Evil legions are coming! Yuria, come with us."
"Huh? No! More than that, it's rude to call people by their names so casually!"
"Can't I?"
"Of course, you can't! Gosh! Hmph!"
Yuria sharply turned her head and snorted in frustration.
"Okay, then I'll go with Morgan!"
Rosaria and Morgan the Second left without hesitation.
Yuria tried to glare at Rosaria, who had coldly abandoned her without a moment's hesitation, but they were already gone.
"Wait, what, just a moment! Miss Roton!"
Even Yuria, who didn't want to admit that she had been abandoned, eventually followed them and started her adventure.
Long before Rosaria's grand escape from the children's social event, at the adults' banquet hall.
The music of the orchestra stopped.
It meant that someone important enough to stop the music had arrived.
Everyone stopped their conversation and turned their heads.
The object of their attention was an old man with sparse hair.
And a beautiful woman was standing next to him.
The old man was undoubtedly Morgan.
However, no one knew about the beautiful blonde woman.
"Oh my, who is that lady?"
"I don't know. It's my first time seeing her too."
When all sorts of speculations, starting from the rumor that she was the new queen of the HupperKingdom, were running rampant,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely welcome all of you who have visited our Cohen today."
King Morgan of the Hupper Kingdom, started to speak, extending his courteous greeting.
"And once again, I would like to express my gratitude to the Masterof the Silent Tower for enabling us to hold this banquet and demonstration."
His words refocused attention on Reed, who smiled and politely greeted the nobles.
"Today's banquet will be a very precious time for me. It's also a banquet with my precious treasure. Allow me to introduce you. This is my daughter, Adonis."
Only after Morgan pointed to the woman standing next to him and spoke, did people realize that she was Adonis Hupper.
"Oh my, the rumored Giant Slayer!"
"Goodness! She's completely different from when she's wearing armor."
Even those who knew her did not recognize that the glamorous woman was Adonis.
The dress that boldly revealed her figure, along with the hairstyle and decorations arranged by the royal designer, vividly showcased the dignity of a princess.
Adonis did not say a word, but gently touched her dress to greet everyone.
"My daughter Adonis is making her debut in society again through this banquet. Everything that I couldn't do while protecting this country for the past 8 years, I want to give it all to my proud daughter today."
The touching words of a wise king.
It was as if he was creating a warm atmosphere that seemed to resolve years of unresolved resentment.
Standing at the center of it all, Adonis was swept up in the atmosphere without knowing anything.
'I must not be fooled.'
Adonis Hupper is going to be expelled today.
Reed pulled himself together.
"When the night deepens and the moon rises, the musical demonstration prepared by the Master of the Silent Tower will begin. I hope you enjoy the banquet to your heart's content until then."
With Morgan's closing remarks, the band began to play again.
The music that had been soft was now lively.
As the exciting music began to flow, everyone started to clear the middle hall.
"It seems they are starting to dance."
"It's the moment to pair up, huh."
The Master of the Monolith Tower and the Radiant Tower approached the group of women who hadn't paired up yet, with confident expressions.
The Master of the Jade Tower and the Greenwood Tower tapped on Reed's shoulder who was standing still, and said,
"Silence Tower Master, the time of choice has come."
"Which side will you choose, handsome?"
They tried to appeal their charm by raising their eyebrows, but to Reed's eyes, they just looked like two reckless middle-aged women.
Moreover, the first dance partner was already decided.
Reed grabbed the hand of the Master of the Greenwood Tower.
The Master of the Jade Tower pouted her lips, and the Master of the Greenwood Tower laughed as if to say, 'I told you so.'
Reed and the Master of the Greenwood Tower stood in the hall and melted into the dance.
He skillfully led the Master of the Greenwood Tower with the steps he had practiced with Phoebe.
'Where's Adonis?'
As he shifted his gaze, he saw that Adonis was already dancing with another man.
The partner was a military commander, famous for his loyalty to his wife.
'Even if he harbors malicious intent... it's not him.'
The nobleman Adonis had killed was so insignificant that she couldn't even remember his name. If she had killed a military commander, there would undoubtedly be a record of who died.
'That's why I chose the Master of the Greenwood Tower.'
The master of detection and guard magic.
He whispered in her ear, asking for her help.
"Master of the Greenwood Tower."
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"Would you mind if I ask you a favor while we dance?"
"Oh, I'm not an easy woman."
The Master of the Greenwod Tower laughed heartily.
"I would like you to use a detection spell once more."
"Detection? What do you want to find?"
"A noble under the influence of mental magic."
"That's a strange request during a party. Okay~."
"Please."
When Reed asked politely, the Master of the Greenwood Tower laughed as if she couldn't refuse and concentrated her mind.
Using detection magic while dancing was no big deal for her.
After a moment, the Master of the Greenwood Tower whispered into Reed's ear.
"Most of them are under it."
"Most of them?"
"Most are under magic that resists mental magic. The high ranks can't be vulnerable to a mage's attack, can they?"
"That makes sense."
Resistance against mental magic is also a form of mental magic, so it is detected by detection magic.
Reed thought so and then chewed over what the Master of the Greenwood Tower said.
'Most?'
"Did you say 'most'?"
"Yes, why?"
"Could you tell me how many are not under the spell?"
"Well, I said 'most'... actually, there is only one person. That man."
The Master of the Greenwood Tower pointed out one man with her eyes.
Having memorized all the guests' personal information in advance, Reed knew who he was.
James Bren, the only son of Lawrence Bren, a founding contributor of the Cohen Kingdom.
Being of commoner origin, he was considered a lower noble in noble society.
'Didn't Lawrence Bren, the head of the family, persistently urge Morgan to designate a successor quickly?'
Lawrence was a man who strongly argued that Adonis Hupershould be seated on the throne next.
If she cruelly kills Lawrence's son, who would remain on Adonis's side?
He found the bomb.
'He must have intended to kill two birds with one stone.'